There are no patents known to this inventor which include this kind of hackle grabbing tool, although there are numerous types of pliers which have a purpose similar to this Hackle Grabber. The hackle pliers feature a pair of opposing jaws which clamp onto a hackle under manually-applied or spring-actuated lateral pressure. The present invention grabs one end of a hackle feather which has had the other end tied onto the shank of a fishing hook, the grabbing taking place between a small bead and the end of a cylinder, and the bead is forced by spring action onto one end of the hackle as the hackle is positioned on the cylinder end, thereby holding the hackle so it may be wound onto the shank of a hook. Whereas most uses of this tool will involve hackle feathers, this tool can be used in the same manner to hold peacock herl, tinsel strips, lead wires, or other string-like materials as well. The grabbing method of the present invention is uniquely different from all hackle holders known to this inventor.
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This invention pertains to the field of fly tying tools, and particularly to the field of fly tying tools which are used to construct flies for fishing purposes. Although there are tools made for accomplishing the same purpose as this invention, this invention is an improvement over those other tools.
The presently-made tools used to clasp the end of a hackle feather for winding it on a hook""s shank in order to construct a fishing fly may be considered to be broadly defined as one of three types. These are as follows:
1) Hackle pliers made of spring steel rod bent into an elliptical shape which is open at one end. The ends of the rod at the open end are crossed and provided with a jaw on each of the rod ends so manually squeezing the two sides of the ellipse together opens the jaws. When the ellipse is not squeezed, the two jaws are forced tightly together by the compression built into the ellipse, and this compression of one jaw against the other holds a hackle feather tightly so it may be wound on a fishing hook""s shank.
2) Hackle pliers made of two spring steel rods fitted into a cylinder in such a way that when the two rods are bound together and pushed into the cylinder, their spring action opens the pliers"" opposing jaws which are made on the rod ends. When the rods are partially drawn out of the cylinder, the constriction of the cylinder walls forces the rods, and thereby the pliers"" jaws, together so they can grasp a hackle feather for winding it on a fishing hook""s shank.
3) Hackle pliers made as in 1) or 2) just above, and equipped with a handle joined by a swivel joint to the pliers, with the handle made so it will let the pliers spin around on the end of the handle. The handle permits a hackle to be wound upon a fishing hook""s shank without twisting the shank of the hackle feather one twist for each rotation of the tool around the hook shank. The elimination of the feather shank twist is beneficial because an excess of twists will both deform the feather and/or break it, thereby rendering useless the application of the hackle.
The present invention permits a hackle feather to be held tightly between two rounded surfaces, the bead, and the beveled and rounded edges of the end of the cylinder into which the bead is drawn by spring tension. This results in a firmer grasp than hackle pliers, and, at the same time, less damage to the hackle, which damage may cause the hackle feather to break and thereby became useless. This invention is equipped with a Rotating Handle to eliminate feather shank twist. Because the Rotating Handle of the present invention is only a fraction of an inch distant from the grabbing bead, there is greater control over the positioning of the hackle feather when comparison is made with the handled pliers in example 3) above.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved means of grasping a hackle feather in order to wind it on the shank of a fish hook when constructing a fishing fly. The present invention provides a fly tier with a tool which will more securely grasp a hackle feather, without subsequent damage, than presently produced hackle pliers, and will allow the fly tier to wind the hackle feather on a hook""s shank without twisting the shank of the feather as it is wound. The present invention is constructed in such a manner than its user can easily obtain repair parts, and can easily repair or replace any part with a minimum of skill, and using common household tools. These important objectives are accomplished with the Hackle Grabber comprising the present invention.
The present invention is comprised of two assemblies, Assembly No. 31 and Assembly No. 32, joined with three additional parts to form a third Assembly, Assembly No. 30, the Hackle Grabber itself.
Assembly No. 31 is comprised of a cylindrical Plunger Tube on which a Thumb Cap is fastened. One end of an Elongated xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d Shaped Spring wire is embedded in a Hardened Fill substance inside the Plunger Tube, and this wire extends to a Round Metal Ball, and is embedded in the Round Metal Ball.
Assembly No. 32 is comprised of a cylindrical Barrel Tube at one end of which a Finger Tang Ring is fastened, and at the other end and inside of which a cylindrical Receiver Tube is fastened. The Receiver Tube projects slightly from the Barrel Tube.
The Round Metal Ball is sized so it will almost, but not quite, pass inside the Receiver Tube. It is between the Round Metal Ball and the outer end of the Receiver Tube that a hackle feather is grasped.
Assembly No. 31 is fitted inside Assembly No. 32, with the Round Metal Ball projecting at the Receiver Tube end of Assembly No. 32, and the Plunger Tube, and its Thumb Cap projecting at the Finger Tang Ring end of Assembly No. 32.
A Compression Spring is fitted inside Assembly No. 32 between the Plunger Tube and the Receiver Tube to make the Round Metal Ball pull tightly against the Receiver Tube.
A cylindrical tube is loosely fitted over Assembly No. 32 to serve as a Rotating Handle. A Retainer Tube is fitted tightly over Assembly No. 32 near the Receiver Tube, to keep the Rotating Handle in its place.
When the Thumb Cap is depressed, the Plunger Tube of Assembly No. 31 slides inside the Barrel Tube Assembly No. 32, and the Round Metal Ball is extended.
One end of a hackle feather can be placed inside the loop formed by the Elongated xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d Shaped Spring Wire at the Round Metal Ball.
When pressure on the Thumb Cap is released the hackle feather is grasped between the Round Metal Ball and the Receiver Tube.
The hackle feather may then be wound around a hook""s shank.
The Hackle Grabber may also be used to wrap peacock herl, tinsel strips, lead wire, or other materials, around a hook""s shank.